Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vitamin D supplements and blood clotting in healthy male dogs
By Daneshpour, Pardis et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2025·Department of Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Relationship Between Vitamin D Supplementation and Platelet Parameters, Platelet Aggregation and Thrombosis in Healthy Adult Male Dogs: A Pilot Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Eight healthy adult male dogs were given a daily oral supplement of vitamin D3 for 42 days to see how it affected their blood platelets. After the treatment, researchers found that the dogs had a significant decrease in platelet count, but other blood parameters remained unchanged. This suggests that while vitamin D might lower platelet numbers, more research is needed to understand the full effects and any potential health implications for dogs. If you're considering vitamin D supplements for your dog, it’s a good idea to discuss it with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog vitamin D supplementation · low platelet count in dogs · effects of vitamin D on dog health
Abstract
Vitamin D has well-documented antithrombotic effects on coagulation system components, and platelet-associated vitamin D receptors (VDR) play an important role. Adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) induced platelet activation, and thrombin induced a change in the VDR shape, allowing it to bind to fibrinogen and stimulate the aggregation cascade. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on thrombosis in dogs has not been investigated. Eight mixed-breed adult male dogs were selected, and oral vitamin D3 at 50 IU/kg was administered for 42 days. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration, platelet number, mean platelet volume (MPV), fibrinogen, prothrombin time (PT) and partial thrombin time were measured before treatment (Day 0) and on Days 14, 28 and 42. The results identified a significant reduction in platelet count following the administration of oral vitamin D (p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in ADP-induced platelet aggregation, MPV, fibrinogen, PT and partial thromboplastin time (PTT). The results suggest that oral administration of vitamin D daily at a dose of 50 IU/kg BW for 42 days leads to a reduction in platelet count; larger studies are necessary to confirm the results and to elucidate potential clinical implications.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40728100/